What a fantastic week with the attendees of the 10th anniversary of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing! Thank you everyone for all the amazements, the conversations, the inspirations! It’s sad to say goodbye.
Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Week 1 June 2019
What a joy to share the reading stage here at week 1 of the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing with Samantha Ocena, reading her poetry, and Randi Ocena, reading her poetry and fiction!
Samantha Ocena, reading her poetry
Randi Ocena, reading her poetry and fiction
Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Week 1 June 2019
And with the traditional elderflower wine toast of “Skol!” the 2019 Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing opens for its TENTH anniversary (Yay!) with readings by Director Alexander Weinstein and Instructor Robert James Russell.
Alexander Weinstein reads his fiction.
Robert James Russell reads his poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
My Interview & Reading on The Campbell Conversations on WRVO
In case you missed this weekend’s radio broadcasts, you can now stream my interview on The Campbell Conversations on WRVO by Grant Reeher, Director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University. I discuss my poetic practice, contemporary poetry…I read from my lyric essay “Each Breeze Began Life Somewhere As a Little Cough” and from my second poetry book, “If We Had a Lemon We’d Throw It and Call That the Sun,” which just won Elixir Press’ 2019 Antivenom Poetry Award and will be published there next year. You can stream the show HERE, and thanks for listening!
My 2nd Book Has Won Elixir Press’ 2019 Antivenom Poetry Award!
Holy moly!!! My second poetry book manuscript has WON the 2019 Elixir Press Antivenom Poetry Award. Thank you judge Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis! Thank you Dana Curtis! And thank you to everyone who has been supportive and encouraging on my journey to get my second poetry book published–I am truly grateful. It’s so incredibly, heart-thumpingly delightful that “If We Had a Lemon We’d Throw It and Call That the Sun” has found a home at Elixir Press!!!
Steve Castro’s Blue Whale Phenomena
My friend (and former student and fellow poetry editor at decomP) Steve Castro has just had his first poetry book published! It’s called Blue Whale Phenomena and it’s been beautifully designed by Otis Books/Seismicity Editions from Otis College of Art and Design. They’ve published tons of great books, including Forrest Gander’s Panic Cure: Poetry from Spain for the 21st Century. With a truly unique poetic voice and excitement and surprises that unsettle and delight on every page, this book is one to take with you into the forest.
You can snag a copy from SPD or Amazon.
Finalist for the Burnside Review Press Book Contest
Gratified to hear that the manuscript of my second poetry book was just named a finalist in the Burnside Review Press Book Contest. Congratulations to the winner Larissa Szporluk!
Meek Award Announcement!
The public announcement about this year’s Meek Awards from The Florida Review, in which my lyric essay “Root That Mountain” won for the creative nonfiction category. Thank you Florida Review editors for this honor. I’m especially delighted because I’ve never submitted my nonfiction for any awards, and to have received this without entering for it means so much to me. An added jolt of very welcome good creative nonfiction energy!
Reading at Brewerton Center for the Arts April 27, 2019
Fabulous to read last night at the beautiful Brewerton Center for the Arts with wonderful fellow poets Laura Donnelly, Kenneth Nichols, Stephanie Pritchard, Charlie Itzen, Tim McCoy, Devon Moore, and Steve Smith. Let’s hear it for National Poetry Month!
“The Answer the Question in Your Mind Rosemary” and “Lighthouse Lighthouse Lighthouse” Published in Arts & Letters
What a delight to hold my rocket-powered contributor copy of Arts & Letters 20th anniversary issue, which contains my poems “The Answer the Question in Your Mind Rosemary” and “Lighthouse Lighthouse Lighthouse.” Thank you Editors Hali Sofala-Jones, Cecilia Woloch, Faith Thompson, Jennifer Watkins, and the rest of the Arts & Letters flight crew! This is such a gorgeous issue!
